Which title was the third and final Guitar Hero game developed by Harmonix?

Which title was the third and final Guitar Hero game developed by Harmonix? Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s was the third and final Guitar Hero game developed by Harmonix. The 2007 PlayStation 2 title was made as Harmonix was moving away from the franchise to create Rock Band.

Harmonix developed the original Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II before completing Rocks the 80s. The game was designed as a themed expansion rather than a major sequel, with songs, character designs, venues and artwork inspired by 1980s rock. Its gameplay remained nearly identical to Guitar Hero II.

The title launched in North America and Europe in July 2007, with an Australian release in August. It included tracks associated with artists such as Ratt, Quiet Riot, Dio, Asia, Poison and Twisted Sister. The European edition dropped the word “Encore” and was titled Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s.

The next major series entry, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, was developed by Neversoft, an Activision subsidiary. That handoff is why Rocks the 80s is remembered as Harmonix’s final Guitar Hero project, even though it was a smaller expansion-style release.